Favorite Lyric From Each Ozzy Sabbath Album

[Monster Boy]

One line maximum, for instance:

Misty morning, clouds in the sky, without warning, a wizard walks by

doesn't work because it is two lines. My choices:


Black Sabbath: What is this that stands before me

Easy choice here, first line from first verse of first song of first album. I know, that's not a reason but it is one of those things people always point out. It is a very atmospheric, dark, questioning line.


Paranoid: Satan laughing spreads his wings

Just a very vivid image and I like the interplay of all the s's. AND it's wicked evil!


Master of Reality: Is your mind so small that you have to fall in with the pack wherever they run?

This line stumbles a bit at the "fall in with the" spot, in terms of syllabically fitting the melody, but I love the sentiment here and I hate mindless followers so I choose this. MOR has a lot of great ones though.


Vol. IV: Frozen Food in a Concrete Maze

This line is so good that I capitalized each word!


Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: I'm never gonna leave you anymore

Just kidding.

Tough call on this album, leseeee.

When Little worlds collide I'm trapped inside my embryonic cell

Cool internal rhyme, another vivid image by Geezer, very imaginative at that.


Sabotage: Slipping in to morrow

Cool how the word to slips into the word tomorrow, no?


Technical Ecstasy: She read my fortune and she read my mind: She didn't like my thoughts at all

Ok I broke my one line rule there, but the last line doesn't work without the first to put it in context. Kind of a funny line there, a bit unexpected and Ozzy sings it like "I'm such a baaad little boy". Great lyric.


Never Say Die: Black moon rising in a blood red sky

Hard to think of any particular lyrics that wow me on this album, but this lyric shows that Geez was still capable of painting an eerie picture when he wanted to.


So, what are your choices? Really, hard to choose favorites, think of them more as highlights.

[Josef_K]

I like this topic :D There are some goodies on these albums. My choices at the moment would be:

Black Sabbath Watches those flames get higher and higher

Man that line sends chills down my spine, especially when sung by the great Ian Gillan. I just see before my eyes this black hooded evil guy staring into a fireplace or whatever and suddenly all hell breaks loose, the fire begins to consume everything around him and finally him as well, and he just laughs into the night... That's Sabbath for you ^^

Paranoid Silver starlight breaks dawn from night

Possibly Geezers FINEST lyrical work EVER. Enough said.

Master of Reality Can't find the key to fit the lock on your heart

Was hard finding just one line to sum up my love for that song, but that one will do fine. I love the metaphors in this one, if it wasn't for "Sweet Leaf" this whole album could have been a masterpiece lyrically.

Vol. 4 Just live your life and leave them all behind

Well... what can I say? This is probably one of those lines that I always have in the back of my head, whenever life is shit and you don't understand people, people don't understand you, you don't understand why you worry about everything and it just goes down, and it keeps going... You will always have Geezer right there, in the back of your head. Some of the best comfort I can imagine. Thanks Geez.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath They just tell you that you're on your own, fill your head all full of lies

Sometimes the best medicine is the brutal truth. I have yet to listen to this song and feel half-way through that "hmm... I wasn't really in the mood for this song today".

Sabotage My body echoed to the dreams of my soul

Hell yeah... I can feel the pain right there. I have always enjoyed the honesty in Geezer's lyrics, but even more when the honesty is combined with metaphors to give a complete picture of reality and it's endless amounts of screwed up, unexplainable moments.

Technical Ecstasy The silent emptiness of one-sided love

Ah... the silent memories of the very first Black Sabbath song I decided to learn how to play on the guitar. This is a song that can make someone nostalgic over nothing, it's so damn powerful, you actually feel like you miss something that never was there.

Never Say Die I handed my children over to you

Easily the most touching lyrics off this album, and a very very fine song as a whole, "Over to You" seems to get exactly zero appreciation. This is a song I play on the piano a lot just because I just love to sing the lyrics, no matter how horrible it sounds to others, in my head it's as close as one gets to perfection. The bitterness and hopelessness of these lyrics burns through anything, I don't care about Geezer not being motivated to write stuff during this period. He is still one of the greatest poets this world has ever seen, no matter what he thinks ^^

Most of the choices I've made need the words before or after them to explain why they are so perfect, but as true Sabbath fans I assume you all know all the words to all the Ozzy era songs at least (I mean cmon, you gotta know SOMETHING right?) so you probably get what I'm talking about.

[Monster Boy]

^^^I knew that you'd bite on this one! Thanks for playing! I was considering using a lyric from Over to You myself, but personally I think its a combination of all the lyrics in that one with no real stand out line. I think it's the best song on side 2 of NSD!, great vocal melody (by Bill Ward I hear), I just think the chorus is kinda lame and the song does drag a bit. Nice to hear your perspective here.

[Josef_K]

hah, funny you should say that, I always skip the chorus when I play "Over to You", it's not interesting at all imo... I agree though on that the main point of the song is the lyrics as a whole, no real standout line, the one you took from "Shock Wave" is good as well, but personally I have always considered that song kinda... I don't know, I think Ozzy lacks feeling in the vocals on that song or something, I only hear the lyrics, I don't FEEL them Anyways, hopefully some more people will join in shortly, I'd love to see what people's opinions are here.

[Monster Boy]

Anyways, hopefully some more people will join in shortly, I'd love to see what people's opinions are here.

Agreed! It is a bit of an undertaking, going through each album like that and picking a fav lyric line, plus there are other exciting things to post about at the moment so I understand the lack of enthusiasm. Plus, some may fear that I am baiting them so I can argue with their choices. I'll be good I swear!

[IommiRules]

Going to be violating the strict one line interpretation, not gonna lie. Some may be best thought or feeling.

BLACK SABBATH

Wicked World- A politician's job they say is very high
'Cos he has to choose who's got to go and die

PARANOID

Electric Funeral- Robot minds of robot slaves lead them to atomic rage

MASTER OF REALITY

After Rorever- Is your mind so small that you have to fall
In with the pack wherever they run

VOL. 4

Cornucopia- Take a life, it's going cheap
Kill someone, no one will weep

SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH

Spiral Architect- Of all the things I value most of all.
I look upon my earth and feel the warmth, and know that it is good.

SABOTAGE

Thrill Of It All- Won't you help me Mr. Jesus, won't you tell me if you can?
When you see this world we live in, do you still believe in Man?
If my songs become my freedom, and my freedom turns to gold
Then I'll ask the final question, if the answer could be sold.

TECHNICAL ECSTASY

It's Alright- Give it all and ask for no return
And very soon you'll see and you'll begin to learn
That it's alright, yes, it's alright

NEVER SAY DIE

Johnny Blade-He's a victim of modern frustration
That's the reason he's so ready to fight